These first five are pretty safe cards by authors I count as personal favorites. The Departure is a new series about 11.000 years of human history (it went under the name 11K before). Gavin Smith’s wonderful military science fictionVeteran was the best debut last year so I am really interested in what book two will bring. Jaine Fenn brings her heroes on a search for the technology to open a lost world to interstellar travel again while fighting a hidden empire that still rule behind the scenes. David Weber will let us know what is under the temple in this new Safehold novel while Wooding promises further follies with the Kitty Jay crew, this time on a train.

Bodard, Meluch and Gibson are old friends. Greg Egan interest with a ‘hard’ science based alternative reality with some really spiffy natural laws. Heaven’s Shadow is the kind of first contact that I love to read about.

Master of the House of Darts (Obsidian and Blood 3) by Aliette de Bodard (Angry Robot) – US | UK

Kris Longknife will finally get to the aliens I have been waiting for the last couple of books. The new Vernor Vinge sounds epic and I just have to see how Humanity’s Fire ends. Palmer did a decent job with Hell Ship but the ending felt a bit rushed so I need this book. A new Alex Benedict is never wrong.